Australian children aged 6-9 years (N = 120, 71 females; data collected in 2021-2022) were tasked with remembering the locations of 1, 3, 5, and 7 targets hidden under 25 cups on different trials. In the critical test phase, children were provided with a limited number of tokens to allocate across trials, which they could use to mark target…

Facilitated identification of predictable words during online reading has been attributed to the generation of predictions about upcoming words. But highly predictable words are relatively infrequent in natural texts, raising questions about the utility and ubiquity of anticipatory prediction strategies. This study investigated the contribution of…

In this article the authors overview how the recently revised (version 9) Australian Curriculum (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2022) and student difficulties with fractions relate to five developmental Fraction Schemes developed from multiple research projects in the literature. The article shares research findings from…

This paper outlines a seven-step process for developing problem-solving tasks informed by cognitive load theory. Through an example of a task developed for Year 2 students, we show how this approach can be used to produce challenging mathematical tasks that aim to optimise cognitive load for each student.

There is significant research addressing identities in mathematics focusing on school children and maximizing testing scores. However, mathematics confidence in preservice teachers is something that needs further attention as they will have foundational roles in students developing lifelong mathematics identities. Hence, mathematics confidence in…

The purpose of this study was to explore social skills of young children with reduced social competence, from the perspective of parents and teachers. The study adopted a descriptive, quantitative design using secondary data from occupational therapy assessment information on 241 children. The data were collected using a parent and teacher…

In this paper, an example is offered of a problem-solving task for senior secondary school students which was given in the context of a story. As the story unfolds, the task requires progressively more complex forms of linear programming to be applied. Coding in MATLAB is used throughout the task in such a way that it supports the increasing…

The Encouraging Persistence Maintaining Challenge (EMPC) Project has been working with secondary teachers in Melbourne as they seek to build persistence in students, during work on challenging mathematics tasks. The authors have developed sequences of tasks in various topic areas for Years 7 and 8, which require students to connect different…

While there are many considerations for effective mathematics teachers, one key factor is the development of a classroom culture that supports the desired form of learning. In examining the opportunities and constraints associated with posing challenging tasks, we are exploring ways that teachers might influence classroom culture positively. The…

In recent years, the mathematics education research community has given increased focus to the use of cognitively demanding, challenging tasks and the demands placed on students and teachers by their use. In particular, there is evidence that a major issue is students' lack of persistence when working on such tasks. In this article, we report on…

Pattern generalising problems offer a very rich context for exploring relationships among quantities, expressing generality and representing the same relationship in different ways. Selecting appropriate tasks for students to work on in class is by no means a straightforward process, but there are ways to handle it. This article aims to explore…